This invention covers a marking system for electronic components (cables, systems, instruments, control panels etc.). Identification and marking systems consisting of elements or multiple tags on which characters or references are printed during production or by plotter based computer software have long been known. These marking systems, if compared with the manual composition of the marking elements permits fairly quick and accurate marking even for large marking series. However, plotter printing takes a rather long time as compared with the most recent printers now available on the market.
According to this invention, instead of the above described systems where the tags are composed of individual marking elements or computerised by plotter, the marking tags are now printed on prepacked rigid plastic plates with a thermal transfer printer.
According to this invention, this prepacked rigid plate features a set of crosswise arranged tags alternating with suitable, usually through-passing cutting lines and non through-passing prefracture lines.. These through-passing and non through-passing cutting lines permit to separate the various comb elements from the plate after it has been printed; these marking elements may then be fitted in special supporting sleeves or they may be directly applied to identify terminal blocks and contactors, etc.
The plate is in rigid thermoplastic material obtained by injection moulding in a way which permits its utilisation by a printer of the above described type.